Spaces, a company that offers premium lifestyle-driven workspaces for entrepreneurs, small to medium enterprises and corporate intrapreneurs, has chosen Australia as its next launch location, starting with Melbourne suburb Richmond, followed by Sydney suburb Surry Hills.

Pioneered in Amsterdam in 2006, Spaces’ Australian launch marks a new phase of global expansion for the brand, with Melbourne selected as the first inter-continental base outside of its European roots.

Richmond, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne three kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, was chosen by the company because of its high concentration of fashion, technology, and media businesses.

“We felt this was the perfect fit for Spaces’ inspirational style,” the company stated in a written Q&A.

Like its other venues, Spaces’ Melbourne branch provides a lifestyle-driven professional working environment, founded on principles of creativity, collaboration and inclusivity, while its design aims to reflect the company’s ‘Inspire to Work’ philosophy.

Managing Director at Spaces, Martijn Roordink, said people are more productive and subsequently more successful when they’re in an enjoyable, social and inspiring work environment, and this is what Spaces wants to deliver.

“Spaces gives members the opportunity to take their careers into their own hands and our events enable them to get involved in the buzz of the Spaces way of life. While our staff take care of all the day-to-day logistics of the workplace, our members are free to connect and get creative,” Roordink said.

Spaces Melbourne occupies a 1,093 square metre area and features meeting rooms, private offices and ergonomically designed and engineered coworking spaces.

An in-house Café Deli will serve complimentary freshly ground coffee from local roastery, Where’s Marcel?, as well as healthy snacks, lunches and pastries from boutique suppliers. Beers from the Goat Brewery will also be in stock during social events.

Like many other coworking spaces, Spaces will host masterclass workshops, seminars and networking events for those who wish to engage with the community aspect of the brand. These events cater to Spaces’ network of entrepreneurs, teams, small to medium enterprises and corporates.

The usual stuff is also offered at Spaces like secretarial, business and virtual office services, mail and package handling, fast Wi-Fi and IT support on demand, and exclusive access to all Spaces locations globally including Amsterdam, The Hague, London and Melbourne, with Sydney, New York and Rotterdam soon to follow.

Memberships start from $350 per month, while tenancies start from $720 per month. Contracts are flexible, so residents can sign up for as little as one month depending on their circumstances, while six and 12-month contracts are also available including rolling contracts after 12 months.

Community Developer at Spaces, Margot Van Der Poel, said “Spaces delivers an inspiring, quality workplace platform, where Australian entrepreneurs and SMEs can network with like-minded people and make lasting connections. It offers a unique ‘creative community workspace’ that is relaxed and informal, while at the same time curating a productive and professional environment.

“Australia as a nation has been heavily driving the notion of flexible working, which is why we selected Melbourne as our next location after Amsterdam and London – even ahead of the New York venue.”